Learning Benefits

Aluminum Foil Fun: Give everyone a sheet of foil and let them mold the metal into anything they want - balls, blocks, jewelry, a crown, a mask, and more!

Mystery Writing: One child holds out his hand and closes his eyes while the other child "writes" on his palm with her finger. The first child has to guess what the second is writing. Start with letters, move up to words.

Treasure Bottle: Grab a large, empty soda bottle. Fill it no more than 2⁄3 full of uncooked rice or birdseed. Add 20 to 25 small objects — safety pin, plastic bugs, button, nut, bolt, paper clip, bead, penny, tiny toy pieces, etc. Attach the lid tightly (glue if necessary) and record a list of the items. Let the kids take turns rolling the bottle around in their hands until they find them all.

Silly Sounds: Create a list of "rules" for sounds you must make for different things you see during your trip. For example, say "beep-beep" when you see a yellow car, "ding-dong" when you see a yellow house, and "honk-honk" when you see a goose.